...who [...] sees your success as entirely due to your own superiority to the masses, without recognizing the huge role that luck and opportunity played in it.

Actually, I certainly do see most success in life as being at root a product of fortune and opportunity (Taleb makes this point as well in Fooled by Randomness). But that's not the end of it. I was going to write out why, but commenter Travis Steward did such a fine job I'd love for him to take credit.

The interesting thing about "luck" and "opportunity" that I've noticed in my life is that EVERYONE experiences these in spades many times in their lives, even the most dejected of society. The difference between those who take responsibility in their lives and those who blame their woes on others is that the former fucking RECOGNIZES it and takes ADVANTAGE of it. [...]

You want a better life? You want a better life for other people? Then help then learn how to see with clearer eyes, to understand with greater knowledge, so when the opportunities that are offered to them don't go by in a sad hail of misguided egoism and insecurity.

I come from nothing. I am surrounded by friends I grew up with who were given more opportunity than 99% of society, and I am doing better than all of them combined. Why? Because I learned how to take advantage of opportunity and make my life better through a pursuit of knowledge.

It wasn't some fucking bureaucrat that allocated me my "opportunity", it was just a mind and a pair of eyes that learned how to provide for myself even in the most scarce conditions.

Get some courage and take responsibility for your failure. And for god's sakes quit pretending you have it figured out.

Some time back I was watching one of those news magazine shows and it was about luck and seizing upon opportunity. They took a bunch of people, interviewed them to assess and score which were overall positive and which were overall pessimist. Then they got permission to film them going about their daily lives. Unbeknownst to the the subjects however, was the fact that the producers had surreptitiously placed a $20 bill on the sidewalk in front of their path.

In two comments to my Animals Don't Vote post, Dave and Mel pretend to know what they're talking about, but only end up exposing their own ignorance. First, Dave.

W. elitist? That sure is the pot calling the kettle black. With no government by the people, even as fucked up as it gets, the people with the biggest guns will rule. Also, you use the word “commie” as though it were an insult…Obama is certainly more on the socialist end of capitalism, but comparing his political philosophy to Marx is a bit of a stretch. All socialism means is that you give a shit about other people and society as a whole, instead of just your own self-interest. You’re a sad, selfish little man who, like most rich people, sees your success as entirely due to your own superiority to the masses, without recognizing the huge role that luck and opportunity played in it. Even your introduction to paleo was due mainly to luck, yet you see yourself as superior to the poor clueless obese you see around you. It’s sad to see someone as old as you and as intelligent spouting Ayn Rand spiritual insect “philosophy.”

...As if the people with the biggest guns don't rule (it gets worse)...

Rich people, eh? Project much? I didn't get the memo on that, I guess, especially in view of all the balls I've been juggling, lately. ...But wow, amazing what a post on not voting will do do bring out such extreme envy. There's just not really much more substance to it than that he really hates rich & successful people, and it's all because of luck & opportunity, and he hates that they are "selfish." And, of course, if you have been lucky in life, then naturally, you should get in line for punishment and atonement for having the audacity to capitalize on the luck and opportunity that happened to come your way. And so on and so forth. Same old forever politics of envy and oppression of the poor poor masses.

Thanks for this comment Dave, I was going to say pretty much the same thing, but you beat me to it. I was once a devoted Ayn Rand fan, but then, alas, I turned 17. It always amuses me when adults actually discuss her hideous ramblings in serious tones. And her own personal life is even more repulsive…

Pretty amazing, given that I've been an anarchist for 20 years -- something I've always made very clear in past posts that touch on politics -- and the post was about not voting. Rand loathed libertarians and anarchists alike, was a staunch advocate of limited government and encouraged voting.

You know what I find 17ish? Whenever I see an argument that begins with "I was once...and then I saw the light." It's so cheap, easy to do, and I have always, always found those retorts to be big fat lies. That's right. I don't believe Mel. I think she's lying.

I realize not everyone has a chance to run their life this way, but hopefully you can take a bit of inspiration from it and get someplace like it some day.

So this is my new office. I work just about every day right here for a few hours. Fast Wifi, and there's none of the work I do that can't get done (Skype, VOiP soft phone, cell phone). And I can go for a dip or bathe in the sun any time I want.

Slaving Away

I posted this before, but this is where I have been writing almost all of my blog posts as well as my other writing projects.

Stand Up

I asked the 20-somethings at The 21 Convention why they would be interested in a one in 300 millionth say in their own affairs and, and, why they would clamor for who's gonna rule them next. That's kind of a melange of principle and practical, really, but it's often not a bad idea to hit a person with the practical first: how's it working' out for ya? Maybe you'll get their attention.

There was a lot more to that part of the presentation, of course, but that will come out in due course when the video is released. During the Q&A, I got predictable questions.

"How how hard is it to go vote; how much time does it take?"

The practical: Too much. And it's not just the little time and effort it takes to go vote. It's useless, nothing changes, and most voters spend a lot of time agitating months or even years in advance. It's a drain on your life that returns nothing if you're a producer and not a parasite.

The principle: I don't have a right to even a 1 in 300 millionth say in your affairs and I would not do that to you. In summary, I don't vote because I have no moral right to, even before the fact that it's totally masturbatory on a practical level.

Next question: "How about the lesser of two evils?"

Answer: Thank you for pointing out that it's all evil. I'm not interested in evil. Next.

Anthony, the organizer of the event asked me to clarify, and specifically, about any particular candidates I might judge differently. Well, of course, I immediately mentioned my infatuation with Ron Paul's campaign and money raising last time around for the next King...er...President.

Sure, admittedly, since nothing will really change, I welcome more rational depth than not. Obama is a commie. W. Bush was an elitist incompetent, far worse than his dad which isn't saying much, Clinton was a fucking liar of epic proportions and Reagan was a superstar personality who set us off on the greatest federal spending spree since Johnson. Carter is still an embarrassment in every way I can imagine as a man. Ford knew more about baseball than history and Nixon was a general shitbag.

That's the extent of my personal first hand knowledge. Fuck them all. Why the hell should I vote?

But again, that's merely the practical. It's a fucking waste of time and mental energy and you will do well to simply ignore it and channel that energy into life enhancement, entrepreneurship, creativity or whatever else floats your boat or gives you a hardon.

My curiosity is why a human animal would want to subjugate itself to such a process. We're social animals, but did not evolve in an ant hill or bee hive; we evolved in very small societies where you-animal could account for every other member. And every other member could account for you. Compromise is actually natural in this sort of setting. You compromise all the time in your close social circle and it's perfectly natural and makes the world go round.

We don't mind -- if we're rational -- lending hand, being generous, charitable, and on and on. But ants and bees are actually quite dumb individually. It is merely the fact of mass collectivization in the billions and trillions that has rendered an insect that collectively, does amazing things.

So that's what you want? You want to quit being a proud and capable individual animal in exchange for sacrificial insecthood?

Clap, clap, clap.

Be proud, America.

Beyond that, I simply cannot understand the desire to impose my will upon others simply because I can, by chance, happen to vote with the bigger mob.

I'd feel ashamed. Shit, I can even get my non human dogs to feel a sense of shame.

So what'll be the next Neolithic Mind Toxin? Given events in Norway, I was thinking: defenselessness. We'll see.

Update: A simple rhetorical question that I recall from USENET many years ago: what if they held an election and no one showed up? It's rhetorical, so give it your best.

Sitting by the pool at The Los Gatos Swim & Racquet Club enjoying the sun, the cool water, people of all age and gender who look like a human animal ought to look, reflecting on my recent experience at The 21 Convention, looking forward to The Ancestral Health Symposium, and feeling as though I'm recapturing an excitement and enthusiasm for That Paleo Thing I was beginning to fear was lost for good.

I suppose the secret to that is I don't really think of it as "Paleo" as much as I do the appropriate diet, movement, exercise, sleep, sex, mindset, philosophy, relationships, social behavior and thought processes of the human animal in an evolutionary context; and Freeing that Animal from the stifling, stagnating domestication of the CHAFO (Concentrated Human Animal Feeding Operation) that involves not only the fattening up and disease process, but the mind poisoning that is the result of Neolithic toxins such as organized religion and ant hill collectivism in politics.

So let's move forward on all of these topics, shall we, over time?

Something else that seems to have had a profound effect on my overall attitude and enthusiasm for all of this is that I stopped doing the daily eating window of fasting (8pm to noon) and am on my 2nd fast in the old way: 30 hours, lunch to dinner the next day. It's been 28 hours now since I had a lunch of hanger steak, eggs sunny side up, and sautéed vegetables with Keith Norris and Jolly (and his SO), a reader of this blog who did the still photography for The 21 Convention and who will also be doing it for AHS. He's a very delightful, smiling and positive influence -- Jolly -- so those of you going next week, be sure to go over and chat him up. You won't regret it. He was one of the first to introduce himself to me in Orlando and it was really a joy talking to him over those two days.

Meanwhile, Keith Norris is the archetype of "the nicest guy you'd ever want to meet." We were brothers in arms those whole two days and it was an absolute joy meeting him and hanging out. And he is just as lean and rock solid as his pictures show.

The 21 Convention turned out to far exceed expectations for me. I hit on on everything very, very hard. An hour.25 presentation, I used up every second and then some, and I held back not a whit. I hit the religion and politics just as hard, just as ridiculing as I do here, and I had many come up to me and thank me for making them think, helping them, and letting me know I helped get them started on resolving things that have been bugging them.

That's no surprise to me. They are far less invested in a failed Neolithic system of domination, domestication and trying to live at the expense of everyone else than are older people with families, a big mortgage, two-car payment and stressful careers, times two. If they ever wanted to make a move, now is the prime time. That was part of the message: NOW, gentlemen.

I'll let y'all know when the video comes out.

As to AHS, I now have a clearer path to the nuts & bolts of talking about self experimentation. I'm going to hit on the religion and politics there, too, but from a slightly different angle. Come see, watch online, or see it later. I'm chomping at the bit, now.

It's also time to confess my "sins" to the only entities I'd ever give a fuck about doing so: you readers. From the time of my cervical vertebrae injury last December, I put on about 15 pounds simply because being in chronic pain, I didn't give a shit (it was actually even worse than that, mentally, for a long time). The lowest I got in weight through this whole process was 175, but I didn't feel so right initially and got back up to a 180-185 range before embarking on Leangains. By the time of the injury I was in the 175-180 range again, but had packed on a good amount of lean, so I was leaner and felt really good. But through the pain and not giving much of a shit, I went back to a 190-195 range. I was able to hold it there, and adding carbs may have had something to do with that, ironically. I stopped further gain.

In the last couple of weeks or so, by employing the new fasting method coupled with eating big protein before the fast and to break the fast, I've taken off 10 of those gained pounds (back to 180-185). Now I have a solid goal and am just as enthusiastic as ever, in spite of my pain coming back a few weeks ago after working overhead for a day cleaning ceiling fans and lights getting my cabin ready to be a vacation rental (which is going very, very well in terms of bookings). I didn't freak out, and it gets better by the day with minor ups & downs.

OK then. Onward. I'm going to go make a chicken and cod Thai green curry with some crunchy veggies to break my fast. I'll post a pic to the FTA Facebook Page and to my Twitter account.

This'll be my last post before jetting off to Orlando tomorrow afternoon to speak at The 21 Convention. Here's an exclusive first look at the speech I'll be delivering to old teenagers and young 20-somethigs: the introduction. It will likely be edited more, but here's where it is now.

The 21 Convention

FREE THE ANIMAL

If I ask how many of you see yourselves as an animal while on the prowl for a pickup, or, even the bedroom -- bonus points if you’re told “You’re and Animal” -- I see some of you smiling & nodding -- how many of you really take that to heart fully?

Or, does it simply go to the affirmation of your enlightened state in terms of male and female relationships?

But do you still figuratively or literally genuflect to some Big Guy in the Sky to confess your sins? Do you ever feel guilt or shame over your very nature as a man?

Do you enter voting booths to get your 1 in 300 millionth say in your own affairs and obsess, argue and stress for months over who is going to rule you next?

Do you eat like a human garbage can?

I came here today to give you a perspective on humanity that I hope you’ll find useful in your pursuit of being the Ideal Man. In my review of The 21 Convention over past years I see a wealth of rational, principled information in terms of man / women relationships, practical life management in things like money, career, education, entrepreneurship, and more... and recently, diet, exercise and even some individualism.

Well I am here to talk to you about diet and individualism but, I want to do so from a fundamental perspective that unites not only all these topics I just mentioned, but also a few more I alluded to in those three questions I just asked.

You’re a Human Animal and I’m here to tell you how to Free that Animal from every single angle of your life, and to do it now, get a jump, while in your young 20s. Don’t wait, get fat, become a church going, God fearing Republican or Democrat only later to find out what a fool you were. It’s not just about eating like an animal, using your physical body like one, interacting with the opposite sex like one...it’s also how you define and interact with a society that’s appropriate to the nature of a Human Animal, how you regard authority, guilt, shame, coercion and how you regard reality. In short, it’s about how you think.

I want you to act like the Animal you are. I want you to eat like one, move like one, deal with others as one and above all, I want you to think like one. I want you to be as wild of an animal as you can be. I want to you to recognize domestication in all its facets and manifestations and I want you to burn down the Zoo Human in your life.

Yesterday morning Beatrice headed out to do some class at the gym she's a member of, just a few minutes away, in Los Gatos, CA. The class was cancelled and what she was previously informed about the imminent closure of the gym was incorrect. Not closing end of September, but end of August and all classes are cancelled.

She was referred to a different place and they had a deal. Initiation fee of about $600 waived entirely for new members coming from Anastasia's. She went & checked it out. Came home and told me all about it. I was more than intrigued. I've retained my membership at San Jose Athletic Club for the last year since we moved away from downtown. I knew I'd be quitting soon, so this looked like a ripe opportunity.

This

And This

Just a couple views of the Los Gatos Swim and Racquet Club, a family owned and operated concern since 1959. Workout facilities, three swimming pools and 13 tennis courts. Bea got her tour of the facility from Chris, a grandson of the founder. It was originally founded as a social club with a bar, banquet facilities, pool and other things to amuse and attract, back before America became a mass of worry warting, busy body, Oprah watching, FOX/CNN/MSMBC watching, hand wringing fat ass morons who have the audacity to actually vote to impose their whacked and warped idea of a "value" upon you.

Americans knew how to have fun and if it cost them a few years in longevity, they didn't care much. Way back then, people actually had a sense of responsibility, took their chances and lumps and didn't really think you had to pay for it. Now, America is principally noted for its feverish desire to work out a scheme for everyone to live at the expense of everyone else.

We went over, lounged in the sun, swam, I did a workout in the gym and having not done DLs in a while -- like more than a month -- did 135x5, 205x5, 255x5x2, and a few sets of leg presses on the machine at 360 and 400. The weight room equipment is far superior to my gym in every respect.

We filled out the paperworks, Chris the grandson came over to welcome us, and we're all set. I did immediately notice that the place is right up against the 85 freeway and offhandedly mentioned to him that they were lucky they didn't get taken out by Eminent Domain, as the place is far older. He smiled, then asked me if I had three hours. By the "wisdom" of the "Founding Fathers" and their precious Constitution -- of no authority -- they only lost three of the tennis courts they should have had indefinite right to, until disposed of in a manner consonant with their values.

But your values ruled, by force. They had no choice, after years of fighting and attorney fees, to merely protect their life's work. But you get to get to work and home a little faster in the bee hive or ant hill of modern collectivized life. The cool thing is, you didn't even have to go put a gun to their heads yourself. That's the cool thing, see? You get to go into booths and vote for others to do your dirty work for you. And you're far from ashamed. You're proud of it. You wear stupid stickers on your lapel each time you exercise your "right" to subjugate yourself to the mob in symbolic action. A 1/300 millionth say in your own affairs. Be proud, America.

But to the subject, finally, the place is amazing in terms of the clientele. I spent three hours over there today as well (great WiFi). In two days I have seen exactly one women wearing a bikini who ought to be bared by law from doing so (yes, I might agree with a law or two - joke). Otherwise, it's lean kids, lean adults, a bit of slight overweight here and there, and the Hot Chicks.

It was like laying on the beach in Europe or many other places, or America as late as the 1980s.

A guy -- Jeffery Quick is his name -- via a longtime friend, on Facebook, just recently asked what I consider to be a very probing question. It goes not only to "Health Care" -- which is really only Drug Companies, HMOs or any "well administered" or private concern hospital -- but public policy in general.

Public Policy in General. Everyone seems to have their pet booty.

If you have a "right" to make me pay for your health care, how come you don't have a "right" to make me pick your cotton?

You know what? It's an insanely simple and profound question and that's the beauty of it. Doesn't it almost invite you to blank out reality?

I'll relish the silence in comments, content with the sound of crickets. Or, I'll deal with mass equivocation.

I can't hardly stand it, but at least she has her own DVR. She's been watching the tear-jerking shows in advance of the Big Vacuum that is the -- thank Zeus and all gods invented since -- forever absence of Oprah as a daily spectacle.

But this post is about penis size. Penis Size. PENIS SIZE. Personally, I might ask, 'how very hard is your cock' -- no caps -- but that's just just me.

So in this clip of an episode she interrupted my afternoon scotch for, there was a guy who weighed 260 sumthin', lost 104 pounds and his wife was quite happy. And, and, this was way back when OZ had decided it might be a far better future to divert from open heart cardiac surgery practice to regular whoring appearances on Her show.

[How many women hold Oprah in higher esteem than their fantasy God, I might ask, at this point, but I'm just a rude fucker, so dismiss it.]

Anyway, the punchline, according to OZ, is that you get a 1" longer cock per 35 lbs lost. It tapers off after a coupla inches, according to him. The guy who lost the 104 pounds had already lost 35 when he heard that episode and stepped up his game.

His wifee was all smiles.

I'l have to say that this was roughly my experience and I recall joking about it with close friends during the process.

Anyone else? Care to share? In a paleo context, I'd also have to say that my propensity to rouse my wife at 2am while non existent before, is not so uncommon.

And hey, have any of you guys recovered your teenage, natural alarm clock?

Oh, sorry. I had some recent medical studies around here to disparage. But I wanted to talk about the Human Animal condition.

A few of the unanswered, unresolved, unfiled items from the FTA inbox, oldest to newest.

~ Derek emails:

Loyal reader of you blog, especially since months ago, when I was in a rough spot about my testosterone and started to research how could I increase it naturally. That research took me to diet, and its profound impact in hormones, and from there I discovered Paleodiet. According the countless scientific studies I read (yes, I'm obsessive) the diet that optimizes testosterone is basically a Paleo Diet free of too much carbs. I had the epiphany that "every man should know about this" (because I had no idea about hormones, or really healthy diet, and low testosterone seems too much common nowadays) and put my research in a free ebook about increasing testosterone, where I explain the keys to diet and lifestyle that allowed me to recover my motivation and drive (including sex drive and performance), with no drugs, no strange supplements and nothing that was not tested by science (I quote about 35 scientific studies in the report and I gathered lots more, as I said, I'm a bit obsessive).

~ A number of people emailed about this comprehensive review of the Paleo diet by Jon Barron of Baseline of Health. It's pretty fair and balanced and get s lot right.

The idea that the so-called Paleo Diet is inherently healthier is simply not supported by the evidence, either ancient or modern. What is supported is that eating modern highly processed, high-glycemic foods is unhealthy. Diabetes was virtually unknown in China until people began eating the modern Western diet. But before people started eating modern diets in China, they weren't eating anything remotely close to the Paleo Diet. They were eating a largely vegetarian diet grounded in rice and noodles. For centuries, they ate grains without problems. It was the introduction of refined sugars and oils and processed fast foods "what done em in," to quote Eliza Doolittle. As a side note, although meat consumption has gone up dramatically in China, with disease rates climbing right alongside them, it's probably not the meat that's causing the problem. It's most likely all of the refined, processed, fast food that's killing them.

Was chatting with David Csonka (he was the one who did the survey) and he mentioned you were a pretty cool guy so I thought I would introduce myself. I have seen a few of your posts about the vegetarians and vegans out there...I get a good chuckle out of those in fact because I was one of "those" people as well about 7 months ago.

I have also started my own site (www.beingprimal.com) and quickly built up a following. I focus on the Being part of the primal movement. I am very interested in seeing if you want to do an interview via skype.

I am intrigued by the shift you have taken and I like the notion that you are experimenting with this lifestyle and not simply following "the rules". I call it "taking ownership" and it would be a great lesson I would like to pass onto my flock.

Next Friday morning I'll be hitting the road; first driving up to San Francisco Airport, then getting groped & fondled by TSA perverts, onto being herded like cattle and packed in like sardines, and finally to arrive in Orlando and this year's 21 Convention where I'll be speaking Saturday afternoon.

Here's the schedule. I'll draw to your attention that my longtime Paleoish blogging buddies Skyler Tanner and Keith Norris will be bringing the high intensity exercise end of the whole Paleo equation. Here's the one minute event trailer which is pretty cool.

I'm still working up my presentation, which is billed as: Getting the Most Out of Your 20s and Avoiding All The Mistakes. It's going to be styled after this presentation last year by Tim the Right Hand Man, The Top 10 Mistakes to Avoid in Your 20s. His is mostly about mistakes to avoid in the context of relationships with women, but also incorporates things like money, credit, education; and mine will be a Paleo version that's primarily about Real Food -- but will also incorporate attitudes and philosophy from a Human Animal perspective. The highly religious and those breathless about the next opportunity to vote the next set of parasites and whores into public office will be offended. I promise.

Umm…that hang-gliding is so badass. I’d love to know a little bit more about what it’s like — how does one learn?

Pfft, paleo shmaleo. People who sit around all day every day reading Paleo articles are likely not getting any fitter or healthier. You’re living, and living well. That’s awesome

Sorry, Mimi. See, you're a girl and my previous posts are just about my manhood self consciousness in the face of a looming mid-life crisis.

Don't pay any attention at all to these hot chick Fly Girls.

Count the phallic symbolism in that one. Oh yea!

Or, check out to this overly dark & reflective one. She's way too artsy fartsy to fly a hang glider anyway. You know chicks like that, and they certainly don't have a secret life of flying.

Should you really have an interest in pursuing something as ill-advised as this, then go to the United States Hang Gliding and Paragliding Association website, call a local school using a man's voice, and go from there. Don't get interested in paragliders. You already wear panties (inside joke: we call them pantie pilots and they call us plumbers, and worse).

Alright, you may consider this a stub. I'd intended to get back to regular scheduling and have no less than two posts in draft, one about Matesz and his totally bizarre behavior, and one about Taubes, as already mentioned. But before I go, Mimi did mention about hang gliding being "so badass," so here's my touchstone for that, to Muse.

There really is no doubt or dispute about the fact that I'm not out there currently tearing apart every stupid flawed study, calling Bullshit on most of the health and dietary advice being passed off as conventional wisdom by the regurgitators in the media, or many other of the things a "Paleo blogger is supposed to be doing."

Instead, my arms are covered in bruises because I just can't seem to act my age or take up and steward the "responsibility" so graciously bestowed upon me by my readers.

Bruised

This, of course, from three straight days of this, and this. After landing the third day, the tendons of my upper forearm and lower bicep were so inflamed I was doubled over in pain and had to pop some ibuprofen, which kicked it almost immediately. Dad and Bea helped with getting the glider torn down, packed up and tied down on the car for the 6 hour drive home the next morning.

Good riddance man. Your posts are a mockery and you have slowly eroded your position as one of the best paleo bloggers. I am dropping you from the blogroll and have indicated that others do the same. You have not catered to your audience, and you proudly said “Fuck them” if they don’t like your stuff. Well, guess what? You did have a responsibility to tell us if you were going to segue into crude posts about pussy that have nothing to do with paleo living and everything to do with your looming mid-life crisis. All crass, no class. Goodbye.

My first thought, immediately after lamenting the realization that 'pussy has nothing to do with Paleo,' was that it's kinda pointless to announce a segue ahead of time. "Attention: segue coming right up." But yea, I'm apparently just one slippery slope away from a red convertible Corvette, silk shirt unbuttoned to my navel, fake chest hair, oversized gold chain-link bracelet & necklace, fancy watch, big rings and a 20-yr-old blond with long straight hair and big tits.

No idea who it is though. While he seemed to feel compelled to post this comment, a search by name, email and IP address going back to 2006 brought up no other comments from him. I guess I'll just have to trust that there's a "blogroll" out there of some import that used to have my name on it and no longer does.

Truth be told, I'm rather surprised I haven't received more comments along these lines. It's not really that I want to disappoint readers, it's just that this is a personal blog and after 3,000 posts since 2003, the only way I'll stay in the game with this long term is to only, ever blog what I am passionate, excited, pissed off about or otherwise have some deep emotional attachment to. I think a lot of bloggers give this up after a time because either they are too personal in terms of minutiae and nobody cares, or they pretend like they're some media outlet and ultimately nobody cares because there's a shitload of that already and you really can't compete. What you have to do is strike a balance by putting your own spin on anything relevant, exciting, or even disgusting within some semblance of a theme. Well, enough on that. Sentiments are what they are and while I have probably let a lot slide by not keeping up the Paleo end regularly, I'm pretty satisfied with what I'm doing and I'm pretty grateful to be able to muster putting up a blog post at all.

The last few months have been a whirlwind of activity, from moving my employees out of the office we've had for 10 years and into a work-from-home environment with all the tech -- including a hosted PBX and IP phones and hosting our client database at a rack space place -- so that no one even knows, to 10 days up at the cabin turning it into a vacation rental, and then getting bruised and abused flying hang gliders at a place I love and was my 14th annul year of flying into this valley from the Hat Creek Rim.

Launch

Red Barns

Now Beatrice & I are in the process of building a unique tutoring company that uses college students to tutor grade school students -- something my wife has done very successfully on an informal basis for years, using her nieces & nephews and their friends in college.

And there are other things in the mix as well, including a few writing projects.

But in spite of all the work & play, all the travel, exhaustion, stress and so on, we've managed to still eat pretty well most of the time.

Steak & Worcestershire Reduction

Pile of Ribeyes

Curried Beef, Pork & Lamb

Eggs & Rice

Eggs Over Curry & Rice

In other lifestyle, health & fitness areas, my neck & shoulder pain returned with full force & vengeance the day after I cleaned all the ceiling fans and lights overhead at the cabin. Whether this is really John Sarno's Tension Myositis Syndrome, something wholly physical, or some combination I just don't know. Not letting it get under my skin too badly seemed to help a lot the first few days. I ordered up a 5-day regimen of oral steroids from the doc and that also helped, as did a heating pad, the occasional ibuprofen, and scotch.

Haven't been to the gym in weeks but feel fine about that. Between the yard cleanup at the cabin, torching and managing 18 burn piles, all the cleanup inside and then the hang gliding trip, I actually feel more naturally fit.

Intermittent fasting has become more intermittent that ever, never planned or programmed and I like it that way best. For instance, I was hungry enough to eat around 10am this morning but was writing this post and so here I am at noon and still haven't had a single bite since about 8pm last night.

And I'm trying to do more and more of my work on my feet outside, especially writing.

Stand Up

I actually do have a diet related post I'm drafting, which is about low carb and how Gary Taubes is so grossly misunderstood by all of his detractors, and why I think he's so much smarter than them on this issue and and just may eventually put them all in short pants.

Well, yes, back at home and, and, for the first time in a month, not for a 2-3 day stopover...not until the next gig. No deal until The21Convention. That should be fun and I've been preparing. How? By getting my 20 sumthin' on. Why? How would you get ready to talk to a room full of 20-sumthin males, interested in how to make their very best pussy play for life?

Does that make light, or is it really real? I'm not even sure, so I'll hold 'em, for now. I want to present my 50-yr-old perspective without having had the slightest interest in checking into theirs, purposely. I'll risk it. To my ethic, that's the point of it.

Yesterday afternoon I had a little fun and creative spirit doing the last post with video. That was some fun and after finishing it around 4pm or so I thought I might just hang around with the family, toss back a few, and vegetate. Instead, I decided to go fly once yet again.

It's only a minute & eighteen. Rock surprise, again. In total, the flight was about 40 minutes and I'm glad that after almost passing it up due the preparation and tear down that takes 1 hour for a 30-40 minute flight in this case, that I just went & did it anyway.

I've enjoyed putting a couple of these videos together. It's rather interesting to pick a music selection you like, plop it in, adjust just right...only to play back and think WOW, am I really that cool?

Guess: Thinking About Blogging or my Flying?

The thing to do when you burn out blogging what you usually blog about is not to quit, but blog about what's making you happy at the moment. Been doing it since 2003.

You'll loose some readers.

...And? Fuck 'em.

Right now, remodeling my life in a number of ways is making me happily engaged, and as well, I've been vacationing in Lassen County, CA, for the past four days and really having a ball flying my new hang glider every evening. I'll get back to blogging about how cholesterol and saturated fat won't kill you -- but General Mills will -- soon enough.

Here's a few still photos from the action over the past few days.

Launching

High Banking

Getting Sunshine

OK, still getting used to this sports car of a wing, big engine and six speed. Most satisfying glider I have owned. First landing I did rather conventionally and it went off OK. Second time I came in hot and forgot that a higher performance wing retains energy. I let out the bar too quickly and immediately converted all my airspeed to altitude and found myself near stall, 20 feet off the ground. I basically mushed it in, half stall, and saved myself and the glider from damage.

2 minutes, with a Rock & Roll surprise.

Well, it's just about time to head up the rim to do it all over again. See ya.

Yesterday (7/4) was so amusing. I can, and did, think of many who were and are Dependent -- forcibly so -- while being either innocent or heroic.

But I'll save it for later.

Right now, I'm going hang gliding.

I've been away for the better part of all of June. The latest part being a big task that took way longer to get right than anticipated. I blogged about that here, and as can be see from the bookings, it has been very swift and profitable over the last week or so. It worked beyond wildest dreams, and in spite of being "boring" to a primal blogger who appears to be hanging it up because, by God, she's not going to blog about her boring life. Who can complain?

I'm anxious to get in the air with this baby. Comes very highly recommended by both experienced and novice pilots alike, which suggests I have an even chance of finding a wing to suit my style of flying very intermittently.

A Far Cry from the Drilled Tubing & Hose Clamps of the 70s

Everyone always asks and so yea, we wear reserve parachutes, repacked once per year.

Never Used

Oh, and did I mention? This one has sprogs in lieu of luff lines for reflex protection. Aren't you glad?

Negative G Protection

And it arrives on the top of the car and after taking you a few thousand feet over launch and keeping you there for as long as solar power will allow, which is usaually a few hours or until you tire, you pack it up, toss it top the car and haul it off to the next mountain to do all over again.

Portable

And that ends my latest update, from me to you. Just another chapter in my boring life.

I'll try to dig into PubMed and figure a new way to tell you what you've heard a hundred times and already well know, as soon as I land. Or, maybe after I land Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday. That, or I'll make really awful meals with grey meat, take a photo and post them every day for about a year.